Rail cleaner



Oct. 4, 1955 J. E. HYLAND 2,719,312

RA IL CLEANER Filed Aug. 12, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 28 1/0 Fig.2 28 40 64 6 2 John E. Hy/ana' 1N VEN TOR.

United States Patent RAIL CLEANER John E. Hyland, Little Falls, Minn.

Application August 12, 1952, Serial No. 303,976

2 Claims. (Cl. 15-55) This invention relates in general to cleaning apparatus, and more specifically to a mobile device for cleaning rails.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved rail cleaner which is adapted to travel along rails and simultaneously clean both the heads and wheel flange grooves of the same in a vicinity of crossings, frogs, bridges, etc.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved rail cleaner which includes a wheeled frame which has mounted at the forward end thereof revolving brushes for cleaning the same, said brushes being independently operated with respect to the wheels of the frame whereby positive drive of the same is assured.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved rail cleaner which includes a wheeled frame having revolving brushes mounted at the forward end thereof to clean the rails for the passage of both the rail cleaner and other railway vehicles, said rail cleaner being provided with means for selectively raising the brushes out of and lowering them into engagement with the rails.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved rail cleaner which includes a wheeled frame having mounted at one end thereof for pivotal movement a brush support, said brush support having mounted at the extreme ends thereof a brush shaft on which brushes are mounted, said frame having mounted thereon means for pivoting the brush support to simultaneously raise or lower the brushes with the uncoupling and coupling, respectively, of said brush shaft with respect to a power source carried by the wheeled frame.

With these objects definitely in view, this invention resides in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of elements and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail in the specification, particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a material part of this application, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rail cleaner which is the subject of this invention and shows the brushes mounted at the forward end thereof in engagement with rails for the purpose of cleaning the same;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the rail cleaner of Fig- ICC foreign matters are deposited in the wheel flange receiving groove and resist movement of Wheel flanges in said groove. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically clean sections of tracks so formed in order to assure that the wheel flange receiving grooves are free of foreign matter.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that there is illustrated a rail cleaner which is specifically designed for cleaning the heads and the wheel flange receiving grooves of rails, said rail cleaner being referred to in general by the reference numeral 10. The rail cleaner 10 includes a generally rectangular frame which 1 is referred to in general by the reference numeral 12.

4 20, respectively. The front and rear frame members, in

7 tion transversely extending axles 26.

addition to an intermediate frame member 22, overlie the longitudinal frame members 14 and 16 and are rigidly secured thereto.

In order that the rail cleaner 10 may be conveniently propelled along a railroad track, the undersides of the longitudinal frame members 14 and 16 have secured thereto adjacent their ends thereof and in transverse alignment pivotal blocks 24 in which are journaled for rota- Secured on the axles 26 exteriorly of the frame 12 are flanged rail engaging wheels 28.

The frame 12 is also provided with a pair of spaced parallel longitudinally extending angle members 30 which overlie the rear and intermediate transverse frame membe'rs 20 and 22, respectively, and are secured thereto.

Carried by the angle members 30 adjacent the rear ends thereof and extendingupwardly therefrom is a pair of spaced parallel standards 32. The standards 32 are braced by forwardly and downwardly extending brace members 34 which have their forward ends connected to the angle I and 16'and projecting outwardly therefrom are flat plates 38 and 40, respectively. The plates 38 and 40 are braced by rearwardly and downwardly extending braces 42 and 44 whose lower ends are secured to the frame members 14 and 16, respectively, by fasteners. Extending between 5 the plates 38 and 40 and connecting their associated ure 1 and shows the general construction thereof; and

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the rail cleaner of Figure 1 and shows the relationship of the rail cleaning brushes thereof with respect to a pair of railroad rails.

Similar characters of reference designate similar or identical elements and portions throughout the specification and throughout the different views of the drawings.

The rails of modern railroad tracks in the vicinity of bridges, road crossings, intersections of rails and switches are provided with special rail sections which include wheel flange receiving grooves adjacent the heads thereof in order to prevent the accidental derailing of railway vehicles. However, in the winter time the wheel flange receiving grooves oftentimes become filled with snow or ice and will have a tendency to urge the derailing of railway vehicles.

braces 42 and 44 to the same is an elongated rod 46 having heads on the outer ends thereof.

' Mounted at the forward end of the frame 12 is a generally U-shaped brush support which is referred to in general by the reference numeral 48. The brush support includes a pair of spaced parallel forwardly extending angle members 50 which are connected at their rear ends to a transversely extending tubular member 52. The tubular member 52 is positioned on the rod 46 in surrounding relation and the brush support 48 is free to pivot thereabout.

Secured to the undersides of the forward ends of the angle members 50 are pillow blocks 54 and 56 in which is journaled for rotation a brush shaft 58. Mounted on the outer ends of the brush shaft 58 are pairs of Also, in many localities dirt and other brushes, each pair of brushes including a large diameter relatively thin first brush 60 which is adapted to be positioned within and clean a wheel flange receiving groove of a rail and a smaller diameter wider brush 62 which is adapted to engage and clean a head of a rail.

Referring now to Figure 1 in particular, it will be seen that secured to each of the angle members 50 on the outer side thereof is a brush guard 64. The brush guards 64 are provided with mounting flanges 66 which are secured to the angle members 56 by conventional fasteners.

Referring now to Figure 1 in particular, it will be seen that rigidly secured to the sleeve 52 adjacent the plate 38 is an elongated crank arm 68. The crank arm 68 is in alignment with a shift lever 70 carried at the rear of the frame 12. Secured to the rear portion of the frame member 14 by a pair of angle brackets 72 is a notched sector rack 74 which has pivotally connected to a horizontal bar 76 thereof the lower end of the shift lever 70. Also pivotally connected to the shift lever 70 is an elongated link 78 which has connected therewith an extensible end portion 80 at the forward end thereof. The extreme forward end of the end portion 80 is bifurcated and pivotally connected to the crank arm 68 adjacent the upper end thereof.

It will be seen that when the shift lever 70 is moved forwardly the crank arm 68 is rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 1, with the resultant downward movement of the brush shaft 58 and its associated brushes 60 and 62. When the shift lever 70 is moved rearwardly, the brush shaft and brushes are moved in the opposite direction. In order that the brushes and brush shaft may be retained in a selected position, the shift lever 70 is provided with a latch element 82 adapted to engage in notches of the sector rack 74, the latch 82 being operated by a lever 84 pivotally connected to the upper end of the shift lever 70.

In order that the brush shaft 58 and brushes 60 and 62 may be conveniently rotated, there is provided a power unit in the form of a small gasoline engine 86. The engine 86 is mounted on a base 88 which is, in turn, secured to a pair of adjacent longitudinally extending flat support members 90 which extend longitudinally of the frame 12 and is secured in overlying relation to the central portions of the transverse frame members. The gasoline engine 86 includes a drive shaft 92 which has mounted thereon a double drive pulley 94.

Carried by a pair of upstanding support arms 96 rigidly secured to the sleeve 52 of the brush support 48 is a transversely extending sleeve 98, the sleeve 98 being parallel to the sleeve 52 and having mounted therein an intermediate drive shaft. Mounted on one end of the drive shaft and in alignment with the double pulley 94 is a double pulley ltit). The double pulley 100 is connected to the double pulley 94 by a pair of drive belts 102.

The other end of the intermediate drive shaft is provided with a sprocket 104 which is in alignment with a sprocket 166 carried by the brush shaft 53 and is connected thereto in operating engagement by a drive chain 108. It will be noted that the sprockets 104 and 106 and the drive chain 108 are disposed adjacent the right side of the frame 12.

7 When the brush support 48 is pivoted about the rod 46 in response to the counter-clockwise rotation of .the crank arm 68 to raise the brushes 60 and 62 out of engagement with rails of a railroad track, it will be seen that the double pulley 100 is moved toward the double pulley 94 with the result that slippage of the drive belts 102 occurs and the intermediate drive shaft is no longer operatively connected to the gasoline engine 88. However, when the crank arm 68 is moved in a clockwise direction and the brushes 60 and 62 are moved into engagement with rails on which the rail cleaner is supported, the double pulley 100 is moved away from the double pulley 94 and the drive belts 102 tensioned to cause rotation of the brush shaft 58 and the brushes 69 and 62.

Referring now to Figure 3 in particular, it will be seen that there is illustrated a railroad track in the vicinity of a highway crossing. The railroad track includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced transversely extending cross ties which have supported thereon and secured thereto railroad rails 110. The railroad rails 110 each includes a head 112 adapted to be engaged by wheels of railway vehicles. The rails 110 also each is provided with a wheel flange receiving groove 114 to resist the accidental derailing of railway vehicles by engaging flanges of the Wheels thereof. The wheel flange receiving grooves 114 may be formed either by an integral L-shaped portion 116 of the rails 110 or by separate guard rails (not shown). It will be seen that the roadway, which is referred to in general by the reference numeral 118, occupies the space between the rails 110 and on opposite sides thereof.

During the travel of vehicles over the road crossing through which the rails 110 pass, the wheel flange receiving grooves 114 thereof are filled with dust, dirt and other foreign materials which have a tendency to derail a railway vehicle passing along the rails 110. Also, in the winter time snow and ice are deposited in the grooves with the same result. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically clean the rails 110 to remove all foreign matter from both the heads of the rails and the wheel flange receiving grooves thereof.

It will be readily apparent from the above description of the rail cleaner, which is the subject of this invention, that when the same is pushed along the rails 110 with the brushes 60 and 62 rotating the heads and wheel flange receiving grooves of the rails 110 will be thoroughly cleaned due to the actions of the brushes 62 and 60, respectively. In order that the cleaning of the rails 110 may be more effective, the brushes 60 and 62 are rotated in directions opposite to the directions of the wheels 28. This action results in withdrawing of the foreign matter forward and does not prevent the same to reenter the wheel flange receiving grooves 114.

Inasmuch as the brushes 60 and 62 are being driven independently of the Wheels 28, it will be seen that the slippage of the wheels 28 in the case of ice and snow being deposited upon the heads of the rails 110 will not result in the stoppage of the rotation of the brushes. Also, by having the rail cleaner 1%? manually propelled, the cleaning of the rails 110 may be inspected as they are being cleaned by the operator of the rail cleaner and the rail cleaner may be moved back along a stretch of the track should the same not be properly cleansed.

The operation of this device will be understood from the foregoing description of the details thereof, taken in connection with the above recited objects and drawings. Further description would appear to be unnecessary.

Minor modifications of the device, varying in minor details from the embodiment of the device illustrated and described here, may be resorted to without departure from the spirit and scope of this invention, as defined in the appended claims.

Having described he invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A rail cleaner comprising a wheeled frame having a pair of laterally spaced and aligned upright supports at its forward end, a power source mounted on the frame, a brush support mounted on said frame by pivotal attachment to said upright supports, a brush shaft rotatably mounted on said brush support, brushes mounted on end portions of said brush shaft, means carried by said frame for pivoting said brush support to raise and lower said brushes, said brush support including a drive shaft disposed intermediate the power source and brush shaft in substantial lateral alignment with said upright supports, said drive shaft being operatively connected directly to said brush shaft and being connected to the power source by a drive belt to be driven thereby, and said drive shaft being arranged on the brush support eccentric to the axis of the support pivotal attachment to move toward the power source as the support is pivoted to raise the brushes causing slackening of the drive belt to relieve said driving connection.

2. A rail cleaner comprising a wheeled frame for travel over a pair of rails, a brush support pivotally mounted on said frame for vertical swinging movement on a transverse axis, a brush shaft rotatably journaled on said brush support, a pair of circular brushes mounted one on each end of the brush shaft, a power source mounted on the frame, a drive shaft journaled on the brush support to lie intermediate the power source and brush shaft, said shaft axes lying parallel to the pivot axis, a drive belt providing a direct connection between the power source and drive shaft for driving said shaft, a driving connection between the drive shaft and brush shaft for transmitting rotation of the drive shaft to the brush shaft, a crank arm mounted on the brush support at its pivot axis for swinging the support about its pivot axis to raise or lower the brushes with respect to the rails, a control lever fulcrumed on the frame on a transverse axis, link means connecting the lever to the crank arm for lever operation of the arm, and

the drive shaft arranged eccentric to the swinging axis of the support to move toward the power source upon brush raising operation of the crank arm to loosen and render inoperative said drive belt connection.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 400,497 Shreve Apr. 2, 1889 496,049 Fleming Apr. 25, 1893 547,061 Bruhns Oct. 1, 1895 740,851 Hemann Oct. 6, 1903 815,308 Perry Mar. 13, 1906 1,238,855 Webster Sept. 4, 1917 2,194,297 Drumm Mar. 19, 1940 2,458,767 Cooper Jan. 11, 1949 2,493,287 Hatfield Ian. 3, 1950 2,516,600 Shipley July 25, 1950 2,627,623 Humphrey Feb. 10, 1953 

